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7 months ago
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Detectives hunting the killer of a property manager knifed to death at a £4million mansion near Hyde Park have revealed the CPS is considering whether there is enough evidence to extradite the prime suspect back to the UK.
Kamonnan Thiamphanit, who was a tenant at the former Ethiopian embassy, was found dead on April 8 shortly after neighbours heard ear piercing screams.
An inquest into the 27-year-old woman's death was opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner's Court on Tuesday, April 16.
Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell told the inquest that officers have a named individual as a suspect - and asked the Crown Prosecution Service whether there is sufficient evidence to extradite that person from outside the UK.
Officers will not confirm the suspect's identity or where it is believed they currently are.
Ms Thiamphanit, who had dual Chinese-Hong Kong and Thai nationality, had been living in the UK for around nine years, having initially come over to study at university.
Her family said in a statement: 'We are unspeakably hurt by the loss of our dearly loved one and are sincerely thankful for the relentless efforts of the British police in investigating this tragic event.
Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, (pictured) was found stabbed to death at a £4million home near Hyde Park
Police officers at the scene after forcing entry to the house near Hyde Park at around 8.30am on April 8
'We believe that with the commendable teamwork and dedication of the police, this case will be resolved swiftly, thereby preventing any further innocent victims.'
Ms Thiamphanit's cousin Nutcha Tiempanich, 28, spoke with Ms Thiamphanit eight days before her body was found to rubber-stamp plans for her to jet back to the Thai province of Ratchaburi.
But she suddenly cancelled at the last minute because she could no longer make it.
Her killer is believed to have fled the country, an inquest heard, with police telling the hearing they have a name for the prime suspect.
Murder detectives are working on a theory that Ms Thiamphanit, known as Angela, knew her killer and had let him into the apartment in Bayswater, which she had been renting out as an AirBnB.
According to Ms Tiempanich, Ms Thiamphanit was flying back for the Qingming festival - a Chinese celebration that honours the dead.
'We talked about the day the whole family would meet in a Chinese cemetery [for] the festival,' she told The Times.
'Angela said she was ready to book the ticket, but she could not make it. We are shocked. We did not believe the news when we heard [she had died]. It happened so suddenly. We spoke only days before she passed.'
Ms Thiamphanit had a boyfriend, her cousin said, although she 'did not say much about him'.
She said there was no sign that anything was wrong before her killing and the property manager had last visited Ratchaburi in February.
The Chinese-Hong Kong and Thai national moved to London eight years ago to study graphic design at the London College of Communication and would travel between Hong Kong and Thailand several times a year to see her parents.
DCI Alison Foxwell told an inquest on Tuesday, held remotely by Westminster Coroner's Court: 'Angela which is what she was known as while here in the UK had been renting out the property as an Airbnb.
This map shows the street where Ms Thiamphanit was staying. It is located just off Bayswater Road, which is opposite Hyde Park in London
Murder detectives are working on a theory that Ms Thiamphanit, known as Angela, knew her killer and had let him into the apartment in Bayswater
Forensic officers gather evidence at the scene where Ms Thiamphanit was knifed to death
The Chinese-Hong Kong and Thai national moved to London eight years ago to study graphic design at the London College of Communication
Her killer is believed to have fled the country, an inquest has heard, with police telling the hearing they have a name for the prime suspect
(Pictured: Forensics at the scene in Stanhope Place, Bayswater) An inquest revealed Ms Thiamphanit died from multiple stab injuries
'We believe that the person who attacked her was known to her, this isn't a stranger attack but at some point after the 6 April at 6.15am she was attacked in the address and sustained a number of stab injuries.
'We are currently seeking the perpetrator but cannot give much more information about that at this stage, I'm afraid.'
When asked by the corner Fiona Wilcox, for further details, DCI Foxwell said: 'We have a named individual. I think it unlikely that the person will be arrested in the next two weeks.
'We are asking the CPS whether we have sufficient evidence to extradite somebody from outside the UK.'
The inquest also heard how she was identified by fingerprints through immigration records. Her mother in Thailand had been informed of her death with the family planning to hold a traditional funeral in Ratchaburi.
An inquest revealed she had died from multiple stab injuries.
The five storey building, just a stone's throw from Hyde Park, has a video camera entry and police are believed to have recovered that and used it to identify their prime suspect.
No details of who that is have been released but the Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the IOPC watchdog over how it responded to an initial report of concern by the woman's friend 13 hours before she was found dead.
Scotland Yard said it had been made aware of concern for the woman's welfare on April 7 but admitted there were two phone calls made by a worried friend on the Sunday night, within two and half hours.
However she was not found until 8.30am on April 8 after police were seen forcing open the door to the building and then sealing it off.
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